Are Your HSN ( Hair, Skin and Nails) Vitamins Working? How To Know + My Favorite HSN Vitamins.....

Hey Everyone!!

Long time, no see, uh???? Got a wild hair to blog again. I miss this medium of the interaction of the beauty community, so here I am.:)

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Now, I made a New Year's resolution to take HSN ( Hair, Skin and Nails) vitamins for a full year and I have been doing pretty good at it. For the exception of a few weeks missed here and there, I have been taking them consistently. The main issue I had to solve with them was finding one that I could swallow comfortably and I did that.

I have a lot of my friends ask "How do you know those vitamins are working?" "Is your hair longer?".

From my experience, there are a couple of ways I see my HSN vitamins working their magic. Here are a couple you may experience or see as you take them CONSISTENTLY.

-My nails are stronger, not necessarily longer but the peeling and breaking stops.

-My cuticles get thicker.

-Around my menstual cycle, my skin has no breakouts at all. #miracleshappen

-The roots of my hair are thicker and my hair becomes harder to detangle. Remember your hair grows from the roots, not the ends. That's where you will see growth.

-I shave and remove hair from my legs, underarms and bikini area more often.

-My lashes grow wild. lol! True story, I have grown these wild lashes, not thicker but wild.

One of my negative side effects is that I can't take the vitamins on an empty stomach or will be in stomach trouble all day. I take the HSN vitamins on a full belly, either in the morning or after dinner.

My favorite HSN vitamins right now are Nature's Bounty Optimal Solutions Hair, Skin & Nails Gummies with Biotin. I take 4 of them, giving me 5,000 mcg of Biotin.


So.....are you taking HSN vitamins and how are they working for you? Let me know in the comments!!!

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My Problem with my local Ulta store.....

Hey Everyone.....

I had ANOTHER ridiculous experience at Ulta today that prompted ANOTHER email to their corporate office.

Here's what I wrote.....


I believe this may be my 3rd email complaining about the Spartanburg SC store. The first and second complaints have been ignored.

I went in today, made a purchase and attempted to use a birthday coupon for the free mascara. Of course, in classic style of that store, you were out of the mascara. That store is ALWAYS out of product. I can't tell you how many times I've went in for something, it's out of stock, some clueless SA stays it will be in next week, next week comes and its still not in. It's hilarious at this point. I wasn't offered any other gift, other than come back on Monday to see if some will arrive. When I expressed to displeasure with "****", she dismissed as not being her problem but Ulta's problem, in so many words. She's really a sweet lady in the times I've dealt with her, but very uneducated on products in the store.

I  have had to email Ulta twice for that birthday gift coupon, I finally receive it and I can't use it. At this point, I see no use in patronizing that Spartanburg store. I've had countless problems, from not being spoken to, to being ignored, to out of stock product, clueless SAs....the list goes on. I was in there about to two weeks ago and a lady came up to me and said "Do you shop here often because I feel uncomfortable, someone just call for security when I walked up to a SA to ask a question?" I didn't know what to say to her. I told her I did shop here because there is no Sephora near and I didn't have a choice. She said to me "Why still shop here?" Now that I look back at it, she was absolutely right. I can't continue to give that store or Ulta the valued coins I make. I mainly go in to check out the prestige items but I shop the drugstore side more often than not. I've been beauty blogging for 8 years and scoping out new products first hand is part of the business. I hope that Ulta Spartanburg gets it together. Its shame it is so shabby being it has a great location and offers products not found in a 30 mile radius. As for me, I'm done. I won't be visiting again.


And the truth is....I can't do Ulta anymore. One of the main reasons is that my local store sucks but also if you are not spending enough in there, you don't reap the rewards of the Ulta Rewards system. Buying alot or buying prestige items is how you receive the coupons, discounts, and etc. What if I was in there really shopping up the prestige side and being treated like this? I would be HELL HOT. But I probably would not find what I was looking for anyway, they stay out of stock of EVERYTHING.




***UPDATE 10/3/2014***

After a week's wait, I finally received an email from Ulta apologizing for the incident and offering 200 loyalty points to my account. I still think that its a shabby way to handle such a situation, but what you do expect? You can't even use 200 points until you get to 250 points. SMH!!

What do ya'll think??

Fall 2014 Fashion Wishlist!

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

Welcome Autumn Equinox, also known as fall!! I just love fall for so many reasons: warm drinks, leaves falling, pumpkin flavored everything and of course new clothes! I love layering and boots and you can’t do either down south in the summer so, fall is right up my alley.

I thought I would put together a wish list of fall fashion that I’m wanting right now:

Shoeties, booties and ankle boots - I’m trying to work more on my shoe collection. I learned from last year’s fall and winter season that I like my feet warm, comfortable and stylish. Oddly enough, I’ve never been a shoe girl. I’m missing that intricate part of my DNA. However, I’m stepping it up. I love shoe booties, or shoeties, and ankle boots for this season.

Jeans - Of course jeans are on the wishlist!!! They are a perfect way to freshen up your wardrobe. There are so many styles that are in for the fall like trouser jeans and wide leg jeans.  I’m personally looking for a pair of slimming jeans that can be dressed up or down. 

Puffy vest - A couple years back, I had a grey puffy vest that I loved to layer with. It was a cozy piece for the days I just didn’t want to wear a coat. But alas, it got too small in the chest area. Now, I’m on the hunt for another one! The puffy vest may come off as casual, but I’ve seen it be so versatile.  Pinterest is a great place to see how to work a puffy vest into your wardrobe.

Black blazer - I know I’m reminiscing something serious today, but I once had a wool black blazer that was EVERYTHING. I wore that coat to work, church, and casually with friends. The cut was perfect around my waist and the sleeves were not too long.  I wore it as my winter coat for like two years. Of course like most of my clothes, it got too small.  I must, MUST find a new black blazer for this season!

What’s on your fall fashion wishlist? Let me know in the comments!

My Favorite Pieces of Denim and How I Style Them….

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

I like to describe my style as “Casual Luxe”. I love casual pieces but bumped up in quality, look and style. Denim is definitely a staple in my wardrobe. I love more than jeans but denim pieces that mix and match around my whole wardrobe to commit to being “Casual Luxe”. Here are some of my favorite pieces of denim and how I style them!!

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White Jeans are such a great find when they fit great and stay bright! I usually wear white jeans in the summer with an airy neutral top such as black or gray paired with delicate jewelry or even statement earrings and bare neck. I have a great pair of gold thongs sandals that I love wear with my white jeans

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Denim vests are my favorite to cover my shoulders. I can be a bit conservative when showing skin. When I wear a maxi dress or a strapless top, I like throw on a denim vest to give me that coverage.

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I wear skinny jeans with flip flops and tank top to make them look extra laid back. When turning the look over to the night, just add a pair of heels!

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Boot cut jeans will always be my favorite cut because they play to my curves perfectly. I normally save these types of jeans for the fall and winter because they look better with boots in my opinion. I still have a pair of my very first boot cut jeans from NY & Company when it was known as Lerner.

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I’ve been wearing cut off shorts for the last three years. That’s big for me, because I used to never, NEVER wear shorts. But I found myself tight on funds and needing some summer clothes and I had jeans that were too long to wear. I just kindly cut them into a “mature” cut off. “Mature” as in, right above the knee, no rips or tears and no bottoms hanging out!

As far as where I shop for these pieces, well you know me, EVERYWHERE!!! Department stores where I might catch a deal on designer denim like True Religion, thrift stores, Target, Old Navy, Online and Consignment. An open mind will get you a lot of choices!!

What are some of your favorite pieces of denim? Let me know in the comments!!

Simple Summer Foot Care for Sandal Wearers!

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

I've been wearing sandals and flip flops since the Earth started turning toward the sun in March! LOL! It’s nothing like a southern summer in flip flops. I also know that wearing flip flops and sandals exposes your feet very close to the bare ground.  That’s why I take explicit care of my feet between pedicures to keep them feeling good and looking fresh.  I just do some simple things that help along the way. Here are some of my favorites:

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Replacing flip flops- I can wear a flat sandal, a wedge sandal or a reef sandal summer after summer but I actually replace my flip flops every year. I start with buying a new pair of black flip flops then I might add a colorful pair or two to the mix. Replacing a worn flip flops is better on my arch and on my legs. Worn out flip flips make my feet very uncomfortable.

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Scrubbing my feet daily- I actually make a homemade scrub (DIY Foot Scrub Recipe coming soon!) and use a pumice sponge twice day to scrub my feet clean and keep them soft.

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Moisturize and Sock & Seal Method- When I step out the shower, dry off, I moisturize (DIY Foot Moisturizer recipe soon too!!) my feet first and throw on a pair of socks. Then I completely get dressed. When it’s time to put on my sandals or flip flops, I take off the socks and I have soft, moisturized feet ready to face the day. I love this little method because I used to moisturize my feet but then walk all around the house barefoot. Then I would get in the car and notice my heels were already dry and ashy!! LOL! The socks seal in the moisture and help them stay smooth and cute.

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Caring for my toenails- We all know that polish on your toe nails is almost diabolical! It never chips or budges! I change my toe nail polish about every two weeks to guard against staining and dryness. I also trim them. Long toe nails are not cute or comfortable in my opinion.

I hope that you all can use any of them these tips as the summer moves along. Before you know it, we will be back in boots!